14 Mar 2013

After a featuring in a lot of games earlier this season, Liverpool youngsters Suso and Raheem Sterling have taken a back seat over the last few months, and according to reports this week, Liverpool are apparently planning to send the duo out on loan for the rest of the season. It's an idea that seems to make sense, but according to Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers, Suso and Sterling are not going anywhere.

In his pre-Southampton press conference this afternoon, Rodgers dismissed the notion that loan deals are on the cards. He told Reporters:

"Those two [Suso and Sterling] are not available for loan, and I’m not sure where the stories have come from.

"They’re very much part of our group, and they've been outstanding this year.

"We’ve got a very small squad, and those two are a integral to the squad, so no, that’s not going to happen"

In terms of squad depth, it's probably a good idea to keep Suso and Sterling around, but equally, a couple of months in the Championship would have obvious benefits, especially when it comes to toughening up and honing their technical skills.

Surely playing regularly is better than repeatedly warming the bench, which is Suso's fate at the moment. On the other hand, both Sterling and Suso are currently featuring in U21 games, so that will be beneficial for them.

Speaking to The Mirror last week, Sterling insisted that he's keeping his feet on the ground at Anfield:

"I've had to do quite a bit of growing up, to keep my head down, and I understand completely I haven't made it yet - as a young player you've just got to keep working hard all the time. That is the way to keep progressing, to try and get a chance and then to take it"

Suso and Sterling are great hopes for the future, but the brutal truth is the team has performed better without them in the second half of the season.

However, both players should be congratulated for putting the pressure on Stewart Downing to perform. At one stage, the duo were consistently preferred to Downing on the left, and that seems to have provided the winger with a much-needed kick up the backside.

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20 comments:

They shouldn't be too worried about Downing, he's nearing the end of his career so when push comes to shove, he'll be the one let go on a free to Boro or something. Suso and Sterling are insanely talented and are at an age where they improve leaps and bounds. I have no worries that both of them will be regulars within the next three years.

Perhaps but Id say Rodgers is keeping them because if they went out on loan and one of our first team players got injured we'd be screwed,sure keep a call back clause but having there with the team would be better,When we strengthen in the summer then let them go out on loan

we could let one go on loan quite easy when downing was playing left back before coutinho came how many times did they both start ,also we have assaidi or is he just getting paid for nothing ,rodgers bought him but refuses to give him half a chance

I thought the stories where rubbish, BR was saying that Raheen had played too many games etc, then he considers loaning him out to a club where he will start every game. Been a bit of lazy journalism going on somewhere.

As it relates to Suso and Sterling, I wonder if money has something to do with it.

By that, I mean that FSG is creating incentive-laden contracts. One of the reasons why these players may not be featuring as much in first team action is that they may be entitled to money based on first team appearances.

And there may even be something about loan performance as well.

Not saying that this is definitely the case. Just conjecture on my part.

You have a bit of underestimation for the Spanish & German League. Do you fancy that players who are not starting for a upper mid table team in England 'll regularly start for top 6 Bundesliga or La Liga side?

If we want them to play regularly & improve their skills, best place is France, Portugal or Holland.

Yep that's possible. But I think unlikely. The bonus they would get would be so minor in comparison to us winning games and getting to the next stage of Europa for example, that you wouldn't drop a player for this reason. The manager has to consider his own job too. It's no good him worrying about the finances if the results aren't there, as he'll be gone....so the manager has chosen this for footballing reasons.